Here’s a random little piece, but I have been thinking about this a lot lately and what better way to express one’s thoughts than to put them down into words?
YouTube Gaming was a really big thing not too long ago – such that almost everyone wanted to bank-in on it one way or another. But now things have changed, and I really can’t say it has been for the better.
The likes of Pewdiepie and Jacksepticeye who have gained millions of subscribers on YouTube through a variety of “Let’s Play” videos featuring a variety of video game genres – from triple-A games like 2018’s God of War to indie games like What happened to Edith Finch now have turned to the YouTube-safe view-goldmine that is Minecraft gameplay.
It’s surprising to me that the game is still highly relevant 8 years later and still gains a lot of interest – as proven by the total views of the aforementioned YouTube gamers. I have to admit that Felix and Sean are highly entertaining creators and watching their gameplay is enjoyable, no matter what they play.
It is really curious how the landscape of gaming on YouTube has changed over the years.
Though it might stupid of me to say but I used to find out about game releases through YouTube gamers but because I didn’t have the equipment to enjoy them myself, I could enjoy watching other people play them instead. I still do though.
Same same but different. But nowadays its too different, almost unrecognisable.
Gaming YouTubers, for quite a while, ended up doing anything but gaming once YouTube decided that Let’s Plays aren’t “advertiser friendly” after the “Adpocalypse”. Pewdiepie, Jacksepticeye, CinnamonToastKen, Markiplier – all of them ended up making meme-related “shows” to survive for months and months because it became too difficult to monetise their gaming videos and thus they had to diversify.
I have to admit that when that happened…I had lost interest in their channels. I still wanted to experience video games because while I did have a gaming-capable laptop in the end – I couldn’t afford to play many games.
I have to admit that I, myself, wanted to be a “YouTube gamer” at one point because I saw a gap and I wanted to fill it. I love playing video games and I wanted to give the same experiences to others that people like Sean or Felix did for me, but with a female-touch.
But since the Adpocalypse, I’ve grown apart from that dream. Even more so now, seeing how much the environment has changed and even more so seeing how little support I’ve gotten after just recently starting a variety channel…
Fortnite and Minecraft are the norm now. Those games have been deemed “ad-friendly” so that’s where the money is. Overly saturated for sure, but its there. Although with the upcoming changes that will be put into place again, that might very well change.
That’s sort of why I started Plug/Play, so there’s still an outlet for me and my love for video games. Maybe when I get better equipment I’ll toss in a few gaming videos here and there but at this point, my aspirations of starting a YouTube gaming channel is quashed and I don’t think it would come back.
So I think I’ll keep watching Pewdiepie, Jacksepticeye and Spawntaneous, who I’ve recently discovered and absolutely love. I’ll enjoy their work and I’ll enjoy putting out my own things in my own way.
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Plug/Play by Blaise 